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troy fairweather
Member
Will work, the best safe is the one that's not seen.
CoalCrackerAl
Member
Out of sight out of mind. If you don't have a large collection. Something like this might meet your needs.
CapnMac
Member
Building casework can offer better use of the area over the top of the safe.
Now, there is the issue of whether a huge bit of casework will "stick out like a sore thumb." Some styling to match an armoire might be in order (mind those will be large doors).
You will probably want to start with hinge hardware with sufficient opening swing (I would not recommend 100° hinges) as the doors will need to swing far enough away to clear the open safe door.
Now, there is the issue of whether a huge bit of casework will "stick out like a sore thumb." Some styling to match an armoire might be in order (mind those will be large doors).
You will probably want to start with hinge hardware with sufficient opening swing (I would not recommend 100° hinges) as the doors will need to swing far enough away to clear the open safe door.
OP
OP
Maver1ck
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Honestly, I was thinking of keeping it simple...
Get some larger garage door cabinets, ideally with large doors. Or a sliding door, if it exists. And then putting the gun safe in the middle of it so the door has more than enough room to open.
I think that could work?
Get some larger garage door cabinets, ideally with large doors. Or a sliding door, if it exists. And then putting the gun safe in the middle of it so the door has more than enough room to open.
I think that could work?
Rubone
Member
There are tons of options. Being a builder/fabricator I do a lot of specialty remodel stuff in homes. Are you talking about in a house or a shop/garage? A couple of storage cabinets with a panel resembling one of their doors could be an easy build. Simple plywood construction boxes with a decent looking face frame that hinges open would look like a built in pantry or the like. Go for it!
CapnMac
Member
Like this?
Only problem with that is that the ones I'm finding that are "safe sized" are running to "safe priced" (cheapest I saw with a 30x30x66 interior was $1500 before shipping & TTL). Vexingly, none of the tool cabinets will state how large a floor load they will support, something I'd want to know before tipping an 800# or 900# safe inside.
Mind, in some fairness, veneer-faced plywood is running $100 per sheet, and veneered MDF around $90.
Paul R Zartman
Contributing Member
Discreet enough?
OP
OP
Maver1ck
Member
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Something like that - but I'd probably want to mount the safe directly to the floor rather than a cabinet floor. So perhaps...it has to be a somewhat custom job?
CapnMac
Member
Might be.
3/4" marine-grade ply would be enough to support a safe off the floor and give a nailing/screw bite for cabinet sides.
One of my wood-working buds pointed out that the sides (and the doors) could be simple hardwood frames with 1/4" beadboard plywood panels, as the notion is to make something "rustic" that would be full of rakes and hoes and potato forks, and similarly dull fare. And not a juicy safe full of fun.
Hiding a gun safe is good, also try and put it in a corner of the room. If discovered the corner position will protect two walls and also have the non hinge side against the wall as flipping the door( prying it open) usually requires the leverage to be applied around that side. With a wall in the way its more difficult. Also ensure the safe is bolted down, safe doors area easier to flip if the safe is toppled onto its back and can be pried with full bodyweight from above. Add chains or racks to the guns inside the safe. If the burglar beats and opens the door it will at least slow him down a little. Even better if he just cuts an access hole in the wall and then discovers chains or padlocks holding the guns he now has to recut a larger hole to work on them. As others mention, you can place other furniture near or beside the safe to ''defend'' it( block easy access to its walls) and ensure your own tools and powertools are locked away as burglars often use what it at hand. If the safe has those phoney vault spoke handles unscrew them or cut them off. They are only needed for vaults where the door boltwork weighs hundreds of pounds, on a small gunsafe they are nothing but a sales gimmick and nothing screams rob me more than a lightweight gunsafe with a vault handle hanging off it.
There is always the option of getting a real safe too, as in commercial level. Gunsafes arent really safes, they are security cabinets, usually 1/4" or less steel in the walls and a lot of gimmicky interior carpet, logos, phoney vault spoke handles as mentioned. All the countermeasures above can still be beaten quick if the guy has a cordless disc grinder because thin steel is what it is. A commerical safe is expensive new but most safe companies, major locksmiths will have refurb units on the floor at a fraction the price. You can also pick them up used if supermarkets, stores, bank branches, government offices close down nearby. Not for everyone as the weight means you are usually placing them on groundfloors.
The two main levels are plate safes, usually a 1/2" or so thick steel door with hardplates around the lock mechanism. Walls often have concrete fill between 2 steel layers. At sizes useful for gun storage 4-6ft they will weigh around 1000-2000lbs so usually only a ground floor option.
The next level up are TDR safes( torch and drill resistant) as banks and jewellers use. These have thicker specially layered walls and doors with anti-arc material, tool edge bluntening ceramic matrixes and a lot of steel in them. An arms race between safe companies and safe crackers ran for about 100 years and culiminated in the safes of the 1970's and 80's. After that alarm, cctv and later internet response times got too good for most domestic safe crackers and the trade died off a lot. These are much heavier than most can handle, 1-3 tons in 4-6ft height. often you can actually get these cheaper than plate safes because no one wants to deal with moving them, the business will say take it away and its yours
Most important one, never tell anyone you have a safe. The wrong ears at the diner or workplace overhear and you may get a visit one night. The worldest toughest 6ft safes, the UK Chubb Sovereign, Aussie Chubb Isolator, Wormald 8000 and US TRTL60x6 units are bdesigned to protect 500,000 in cash from elite teams of safe crackers with heavy plasma cutters, corers and diamond saws so its a lot easier to access them by putting a gun to the owners head.
There is always the option of getting a real safe too, as in commercial level. Gunsafes arent really safes, they are security cabinets, usually 1/4" or less steel in the walls and a lot of gimmicky interior carpet, logos, phoney vault spoke handles as mentioned. All the countermeasures above can still be beaten quick if the guy has a cordless disc grinder because thin steel is what it is. A commerical safe is expensive new but most safe companies, major locksmiths will have refurb units on the floor at a fraction the price. You can also pick them up used if supermarkets, stores, bank branches, government offices close down nearby. Not for everyone as the weight means you are usually placing them on groundfloors.
The two main levels are plate safes, usually a 1/2" or so thick steel door with hardplates around the lock mechanism. Walls often have concrete fill between 2 steel layers. At sizes useful for gun storage 4-6ft they will weigh around 1000-2000lbs so usually only a ground floor option.
The next level up are TDR safes( torch and drill resistant) as banks and jewellers use. These have thicker specially layered walls and doors with anti-arc material, tool edge bluntening ceramic matrixes and a lot of steel in them. An arms race between safe companies and safe crackers ran for about 100 years and culiminated in the safes of the 1970's and 80's. After that alarm, cctv and later internet response times got too good for most domestic safe crackers and the trade died off a lot. These are much heavier than most can handle, 1-3 tons in 4-6ft height. often you can actually get these cheaper than plate safes because no one wants to deal with moving them, the business will say take it away and its yours
Most important one, never tell anyone you have a safe. The wrong ears at the diner or workplace overhear and you may get a visit one night. The worldest toughest 6ft safes, the UK Chubb Sovereign, Aussie Chubb Isolator, Wormald 8000 and US TRTL60x6 units are bdesigned to protect 500,000 in cash from elite teams of safe crackers with heavy plasma cutters, corers and diamond saws so its a lot easier to access them by putting a gun to the owners head.
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I did that after installing my safe in the garage and put the safe on a 2" angle frame with rollers. I made a box out of 5/16" Plywood and painted it and put Pantry items stenciled on the outside. Have never been asked about it so I guess it works. It rolls pretty easily so in case of fire I will roll it into the street along with my ammo and all the fixings. Make the box first and then cut the door off and install your hinges. I also cut a piece of the plywood and put it on top of the safe so the box would be above the concrete by the thickness of the plywood. Good Luck.
That's nice looking, CoalCracker. Do you have a link for that product or is it a custom job?
CoalCrackerAl
Member
I got the pic from google. But i checked amazon. They have a variety.
Amazon.com : gun safe bench
Amazon.com : gun safe bench
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